Tip about possible sighting of missing Wisconsin girl “not credible”

A girl resembling a missing teenager whose parents were found dead in their western Wisconsin home has been spotted at a gas station in south Florida, police said.

But in a press conference, the Barron County Sheriff said the tip from Miami about possible sighting of Jayme Closs is “not credible.”

Authorities have been searching for 13-year-old Jayme Closs since around 1 a.m. Monday, when sheriff’s deputies responding to a 911 call for help at a home in Barron, Wisconsin, discovered the bodies of 56-year-old James Closs and his 46-year-old Denise Closs.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said there were gunshots at the Closs home, but didn’t specifically say Jayme’s parents had been shot to death. He said Jayme is not considered a suspect in her parents’ deaths.

The FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are helping in the search for Jayme, but at a news briefing Monday evening, Fitzgerald said they had no suspects or leads.

“At the end of the day, I want a 13-year-old here safe and sound. That’s our goal. That’s our only goal right now,” Fitzgerald said.

An Amber Alert was issued without a description of a suspect or vehicle. Meanwhile, deputies searched the area around the family’s home with drones and infrared equipment and talked to Jayme’s friends and middle school classmates, hoping to develop some leads.

Late Monday, a witness reported to police in Miami, Florida, that a girl fitting Jayme’s description had been seen Monday afternoon at a Miami gas station in a black Ford Explorer with two well-dressed, bearded men. The SUV had a possible Wisconsin license plate of I60WER, according to the Miami Police Department .

Miami is about 1,700 miles (2,735 kilometers) south of Barron.

The Barron County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a call early Tuesday asking about the credibility of the report.

Jayme is described as 5-feet (1.5 meters) tall and 100 pounds (45 kilograms), with strawberry-blond hair and green eyes.